After my death our beloved Church abroad will break three ways ... first the Greeks will leave us as they were never a part of us ... then those who live for this world and its glory will go to Moscow ... what will remain will be those souls faithful to Christ and His Church.~St. Philaret of NY

The heresy of Eucharistic Hospitality is one of Ecumenism's best known doctrines. The proponents of this heresy believe that their unity will be enhanced by offering Holy Communion to those who are not members of the Church. Eucharistic Hospitality is very popular not only with Anglicans and Roman Catholics but also with those in communion with the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Moscow. These Ecumenists have devised many ways with which they can unite with their “separated brethern”. Eucharistic Hospitality is just one method. Within the heresy of Ecumenism, the most common path to unity is to join in prayer which is seen as an expression of unity. This is communion in prayer.

The Ecumenists of Constantinople and Moscow put aside the holy Canons of the Apostles that forbid joint prayer with heretics. This is why we are not in communion with them or any other Ecumenists. . .

In our open letter (http://orthodoxie-libre.over-blog.com/article-a-union-with-many-questions-123067866.html) published of April 11th, 2014, we [GOC member] raised 8 questions regarding the union between the Genuine Orthodox Church under Kallinikos of Athens and the Synod in Resistance. Bishop Photios of Marathon has just replied these questions in Greek. He authorized us to make them public. Here are the answers.

Does the document allow true orthodox people to believe there is mysteriological grace within World orthodoxy?

RESPONSE 1: No. It is simply a gentle way of saying that there is no Grace of the Mysteries within World Orthodoxy, which takes into consideration pastoral considerations. See hereunder the relative comment by the Matthewite brother Vassilios at the end of the responses..

If so, then it opens the Pandora box with a series of terrible contradictions. Διότι εἶναι:

Contradiction with the church practice of denying mysterial grace to heretics and submit those having such erroneous opinion to canonical penance. What will happen if someone now asserts that he thinks grace is present in World Orthodoxy basing himself on this ecclesiological document and the aforementioned ambiguous sentence? Will it still be possible to depose him if he is bishop or requiring his excommunication if he is a layman, using Canon 46 of the Holy Apostles? (Question 2)

RESPONSE 2: It has already been said, the answer to the first question is NO. Now then, if some Clergyman states publicly, that he believes in the existence of the Grace of the Mysteries in so called Official Orthodoxy, he must be called to defend his view in the presence of the relative Ecclesiastic Court.

Contradiction with ROCOR anathema against ecumenism, expelling from the church those who thought that there were efficient mysteries outside the church. Will and are people thinking mysterial grace is present in world orthodoxy tolerated in the True Orthodox Church? (Question 3)

RESPONSE 3: In the same Ecclesiologic Text there is explicit reference in § 3 VI 3 that “The application of Economy in the reception of heretics and schismatics into Ecclesiastical Communion in no way means that the Church recognizes the validity and the existence of said Mysteries, performed outside of the Canonical and Charismatic Boundaries of the Church.”

Also in footnote 38 of the simplified Greek version: “Canonical and Charismatic Boundaries”: The canonical boundaries are defined by Dogmas and Holy Canons of the Orthodox Church (see footnote 18 “Canonical”), and the charismatic boundaries are mainly defined by the Holy Mysteries through which God’s grace acts upon the faithful. In the Orthodox Church these two boundaries are not divided, but instead they are assimilated. This reference of the said terms is made precisely in order to emphasize their assimilation, as the Ecumenists deem that the charismatic boundaries of the Church are broader than the Church’s canonical boundaries, i.e. they also recognize the grace of the Mysteries in various heretical Communities (see previously within this text §§ Β΄, 2 and 11).”

Contradiction with the 1935, 1950 and 1974 encyclicals of the Greek Old Calendar church asserting the lack of mysterial grace in the Church of Greece. Indeed, the ecclesiological document decides to make no clear statement about gracelessness in world orthodoxy, opening the possibility (as it seems) of believing mysterial grace is present in world orthodoxy. Since the State Church of Greece is a part of World Orthodoxy, are we now allowed to think the State Church of Greece keeps some mysterial grace, which would be in utter contradiction with the 1935, 50 and 74 encyclicals? (Question 4)

RESPONSE 4: Certainly the Encyclicals are in force. In fact during the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy of last April:

“5. It was confirmed that the dedication of the 2015 pocket calendar remains as it was decided during the Hierarchy Synod of last September, that is, it is dedicated to the three hierarchs’ 1935 Confession of Faith and the formation of the Holy Synod of the True Orthodox Christians of Greece and various details of its publication were adjusted.”

If now, these 1935, 1950 and 1975 encyclicals still stand, the gracelessness of the Church of Greece is then confirmed. But outside the specific case of the Church of Greece, would it still be possible to think mysterial grace is present? (Question 5).

RESPONSE 5: I repeat that the encyclicals of 1935, 1950 and 1974, as well as the one of 2002 are valid. The fact that they refer to the Church of the New Calendarists (because this is the problem that the True Orthodox Christians were facing here within the Greek territory) is an omission that we are now called to address with new decisions that will not be formulated within the narrow Greek framework. Therefore, the answer to the 5th question is NO.

If so, is new calendarism in Greece so different from new calendarism in Constantinople, Romania, Antioch, Alexandria, Finland and Czech Republic, so that these particular world orthodox churches might have mysterial grace? (Question 6)

RESPONSE 6: The answer to the previous question was no, therefore, answering the 6th question is meaningless.

Contradiction with the 1987 anathema against the late Cyprian of Fili due to the fact he was acknowledging the presence of grace within the Church of Greece. Please correct us if we have a bad understanding of the anathema; the complete text is only available in Greek. Is there a contradiction between the document and this anathema? (Question 7).

RESPONSE 7: To start with, the departed Metropolitan Cyprian was NEVER anathematized. The penance of deposition was imposed on him in 1986 (and publicized in 1987 in the issue of “The Voice of Orthodoxy”), because, as it is written there: “If the deposed Metropolitan Cyprian had only cut himself off from the Church and confined himself in his Monastery, the Holy Synod would continue to forbear, always hoping for his return, as it does for the other Bishops …” and a little further down it states the reasons for the deposition, i.e. that he proceeded: “…to found in various areas his own schismatic parishes, to mislead people and to even ordain a vast number of bishops (…)” (issue number 811, January-February 1987, page 23, ii column).

It is clear that the penance was imposed because Metropolitan Cyprian performed ordinations of bishops and he founded his own Synod.

Would you mind also explain us with all theological details in which conditions a pannychide seems to have been performed for the late Cyprian of Fili whereas this person died outside the church? (Question 8)

RESPONSE 8: As the Metropolitan Cyprians’ successors lifted the 1984 walling-off and abolished their separate Synod, that of Those in Resistance, executing the wish of the departed Metropolitan Cyprian himself, the removal of the penances that were imposed by the number 5/18-11-1986 Decision of the Synodal Court for Hierarchs (decision no. 5/1986), was made possible. It would be worth it for you to see the relative announcement of the Synod’s Decisions:

A similar lifting of a deposition penance occurred in the case of Archbishop Auxentios. In history, I can mention the example of the Anathema of King Stephen Dušan of Serbia, Patriarch Joanikije of Serbia who was uncanonically proclaimed Patriarch, and all of the ones those who were in communion with them (almost all the Serbians of those days) by the Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1353. Twenty years later the anathema was lifted and forgiveness were read upon the tombs of Dušan and Joanikije:

I am quoting hereunder the complete comment, made by a dear Matthewite brother who lives in Cyprus, to a blog posting about the issue of the new calendarists’ mysteries:

Dear Nicholas,

When I was younger and I lived abroad, the Modernest Ecumenists asked me, in order to trap me: - Do we have Mysteries or not? I answered: - Do you know how letters? – Yes, we do. Do you know the Canons and the Tradition of the Church? – Yes, we know them! – Then I have to say to you the following: Though I am a sinner since the Grace of God protected me not to be separated from the Truth of Christ, not to deviate to the right or to the left, I know that I have Mysteries. But you who changed paths, since you know letters, read what the Canons and the Tradition of the Church say about your situation and draw your own conclusions. I know that it is not [in anyone’s] interest, nor wise for the G.O.C. to disagree among themselves to be concerned with whether or not the New Calendarists have Mysteries. St. Paul says “For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? But them that are without God judgeth.” (1 Cor. 5:12-13) We have delivered them up to the mercy of God; He knows whether He will be longsuffering with them, how He will be longsuffering with them, and how long he will be longsuffering with them. But we are not administrators of the Mercy of God. We have a responsibility, as those who consider all modernisms as the dictates of the Devil, not to overlook the “Faith Delivered,” not one jot or one tittle. It is most important therefore to continue the good principle raised, generally for all the GOC to unite under an Orthodox confession, through which we will be consistent followers of a common line, and then we convene a Pan-Orthodox Synod, which is the official mouth of the Church, and will give official formulations concerning those things which deviate and are removed from Patristic piety. Until that time, however, we are not able have any communion with them in the Mysteries and in prayer and becoming “communicants of strange sins" confessing that we reject and we spit on the calendar innovations, Ecumenism and the newly minted baptism or rather their effusion. From what little I know, I know that this is what the Fathers did against the heretics. Immediately and straightway they severed communion with the heretics in anticipation of the convocation of the competent body, namely, the Ecumenical Synod, not in order to learn, and to decide whether the erroneous belief is heresy, but so that by the official mouth of the Church all official declarations concerning correct doctrine and the official condemnation of heretics may be expressed. It is to be noted that only the Orthodox take part in the Synod.

ROCA: Our Church is now detached from the MP, Archpriest Vitaly Grinchuk

Author: Metropolitan Agafangel incl. July 28, 2014

To our Church Archpriest Vitaly Grinchuk connected with parishioners who are part of the parish of St.. Great Martyr. George Dimitrovgrad Ulyanovsk region in Russia.

June 10, 2014 rector of the parish and parishioners of St. George was terminated communication with Patriarch Kirill of ROC (Gundyaeva) and manage Melekess ROC diocese bishop. Diodorus (Isayev). Reasons for the break with the ROC outlined in "Open Letter" (letter attached), which was directed by Bishop. Diodorus.

July 13 (June 30. Art. Tbsp.) In 2014, the feast day of the Council of 12 Apostles, they decided on joining the ROCA.

I became a Christian when he realized that "the whole world lieth in wickedness" (1Ioan.5 19).

Being spiritual thirst tormented truth, in search of her, in different ways, I found her in the One who is the Truth and the Way and the Life. (Ioan.14 6) And in Christ our Lord and Savior, I realized itself as the image of God, called to proclaim

hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (1Pet.2 9). In the God-man Christ was revealed to me the great mystery of being Triipostasnogo God. In the Son of God, I saw the love poured out into the world from the bowels of the Divine Trinity. In the Son of Man - learned that Father "chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will ... in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace "(Eph.1: 4,5,7). I opened a beautiful and mysterious world of Orthodoxy. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you "(Ioan.14 27). This peace of the Church, which is subjective, individually was experienced as love me, objectively revealed to me as unity "may all be one, as You, Father, are in me and I in you, [so] they also may be one in us" ( Ioan.17 21). Orthodox Church of the Kingdom of the Holy Trinity recognized me as the reality of the irrational, transcendental world order, opposite him. Peace - a kingdom of decay, and the kingdom of evil multiplicity nasty unity, the kingdom of darkness (see Ioan.3 19) which is expressed mutual impenetrability, "darkness", closing all existing for each other.

In contrast to this world, immersed in the darkness of separation, I hear: "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light and in Him is no darkness at all" (1Ioan.1: 5). God is a Trinity, each hypostasis of the Divine Trinity may contain the indissoluble unity of the Trinity the fullness of the Godhead, and the fullness of the Deity lives in every incarnation. So in God as One and Three as One Three. In Him Fel unity and multiplicity of the world confronts evil good Trinity. Way human likeness - to such unity. And this path - the God-man Christ. In him human, created repository is Divine Triune plenitude passes, has been reflected in the new order of being - mnogoedinstva order. The image of the Divine Trinity of the kingdom of darkness the world translates into the kingdom of light, where tightness and separation give way to the interpenetration and consubstantial. So the image of the Trinity through Christ, and in Him the world translates into the Church, in the living mnogoedinstvo.

I understand the idea of Creator of the person understand divine-human nature of the Church. Accordingly, the understanding I made his priestly, pastoral ministry.

When you become a bishop Melekesskaya I wholeheartedly accepted his archpastor you, sincerely believing that you are designed to serve the Orthodox bishop must be "partaker minded governor and the throne" of the saints

Apostles, that you must be the father of the eucharistic assembly, a teacher of the gospel truth, a servant of charity in truth. But very quickly it became clear that you have different goals and objectives. External, visible side of church life looks normal. But in the main, it is not normal, because there is no love and deceit is present. And to prove it is impossible, and no one, because many years of us, priests, slaves did not vote. And we have lost the habit to speak the truth. Therefore, the Diocesan Council on January 10, where I was invited to announce my dismissal of the rector of St. George's parish and link to Tiinsk, all silent (and I, unfortunately, too), although your evaluation of my work in this parish was completely false. I can say that, because for many years I made my ministry in Dimitrovgrad in front of everyone. Your evaluation of our Parish false and unjust actions against me forced me to understand why it all happened. In the following months, I learned a lot of different materials. This work showed me that the Moscow Patriarchate systematically destroyed the canonical structure of the Church. I came to the conclusion that the Moscow Patriarchate does not confess in the fullness of the Orthodox faith and, accordingly, does not live on it. You can talk about what we - Orthodox Creed and we have not changed. But Orthodoxy - is not only the correct pronunciation of the Creed - this whole system of church life, based on the totality of tradition. Search the reasons that the Moscow Patriarchate has receded from the Orthodox Church, led me to the phenomenon in the history of the Russian Church called sergianism. Sergianism essence is expressed in the belief that allegedly lie can save the truth that compromise with the enemies and persecutors of the Church if there was a way Ee "survival", but in practice it turns out just the opposite - Sergianist bishops have turned to the hands of godless Communists into a tool for monitoring over the Church, for its moral and spiritual obessilivaniya until its final degradation and destruction. During Sergianist "selection" was derived hierarchy, ready to accept any heresy, if "the party says it is necessary." These Orthodox bishops just physically destroyed. Sergianism - the greatest betrayal of the Church. It makes one not only Sergius (Stragorodsky), but a group of bishops, which has made the capture of non-canonical church authority. They managed to attract the deceptions of the clergy and laity, and due to these quite sincere and well-intentioned people "church-double" Sergius some time was similar to the present Church of Christ, even in the eyes of some saints. For example, the martyr mit. Kirill (Smirnov) took Sergianists, but in 1937 already categorically stated that "for the Orthodox Sergius with no part nor lot."

Natural consequence Sergianism - evasion in the heresy of ecumenism. In 2000, the Council of Bishops of the ROC adopted the "Basic Principles of the Attitude to the Non" declaring incomprehensible "partial action of grace" heretical communities and recognizing certain "incomplete communication" with them.

This document, as well as systemic somoleniya become higher and higher ROC hierarchs with heretics, for which the holy canons of the Church must eruption of dignity, obliges me to state the fact of falling ROC hierarchy in the "pan-heresy" ecumenism, in a disastrous fallacy denying abundant evidence Holy Fathers and boldly defies the canons.

Prayers with those of other religions do not accidentally banned canons. Heretic or infidel not praying to the true God, and your inner idol fruit of his imagination (it does not matter, as he calls it). Thus, in prayer with a heretic different objects prayer and prayer - total. This can not be and should not be.

According to Rule 15-Second Council of Constantinople: "separated from communion with sake nekiya heresy condemned by holy fathers cathedrals or when, that is, he preaches heresy publicly, and teaches it openly in the church, such ashche and protect themselves from communion with glagolemom Bishop before conciliar examination, not only are not subject rules of penance, but also worthy of honor among the Orthodox. For they are not condemned bishops, but false bishops and false teachers, and not split the unity of the church, but potschisya ohraniti Church from schisms and divisions "- I'm tearing communion with Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev) and Bishop Diodorus (Isayev).

And why? Because to the Kremlin KGB CRIMINAL GANGSTER rulers of Russia, they see America, STILL TODAY, as their number one, world enemy. Therefore, their 'Bishops' and 'Priests' they send here, are all their best specially trained spies, provocateurs, and Fifth Columnists, and spokesmen for Putin.

Also, as asked by their captive OCA and also now their captive, ROCOR/MP, they send to America their agents [dressed as clergy] to fill in, in OCA and ROCOR/MP parishes, when those parishes become vacant of their rectors, [most born and raised here in America], due to retirement or the deaths of those older clergy. So, little by little, the MP and the KGB in Moscow, 'The Mother Russian Church', are taking over, their American captive two jurisdictions. This is their 'help' to their American churches dependent.

Plus huge numbers of the recent emigrees, from the Soviet ERA in Russia, are overwhelming OCA and ROCOR/MP parishes. They control many OCA and ROCOR/MP parishes, just by their numbers.

And, it does appear, that many of them are loyal to the MP, Putin, and 'Mother Russia'.

Visit of two GOC bishops from the CPI Greece to the Bulgarian Old Calendar Church.

Synodal decree CPI Greece, His Grace Bishop Photios Marathon and Clement Gardikiysky caused a two-day visit to Bulgaria (from Monday evening 1/14 июля until Wednesday 3/16 July 2014 ) in order to discuss with His Grace Bishop Photios Triaditskim, Primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Old Calendar Church issues of mutual interest, for achieving the desired formal ecclesial communion between the CPI Greece and Bulgaria.

Grace Bishop Photios confirmed that, in principle, there is no disagreement between ecclesiology Bulgarian Old Church and the General ecclesiological document "True Orthodox Church and the heresy of ecumenism - dogmatic and canonical matters." Nevertheless, the document will be carefully studied, and then the Bulgarian Commission will send to Greece official opinion on the document in writing.

Bishops also discussed the way for a possible solution of the local issue of cleric who has not taken full summary document that there was no obstacle to achieve the desired unity of the church. To do this, Their Graces from Greece visited the monastery of the Annunciation in Kopilovtsy (Kyustendil region) for discussion.

Discussions with His Grace Bishop Photios Triaditskim held in a spirit of mutual respect and sincere interest serve the unity of the Church and the general confession of the Orthodox faith.

"...Thirty-six years ago I asked Metropolitan Saint Philaret of New York to bless the title “Holy Name” for my monastery, and he gave me his blessing, but he made me promise him that I would always teach about this title in accordance with the Synods of Moscow and Constantinople in 1912 and 1913. This promise I gave to him, and I cannot now break this promise..." This is an excerpt taken from a letter he recently sent to another vigante bishop that is being published on the many websites and forums that have been either created by or usurped by the vigante Milan synod representatives.

This abbey, Holy Name, in New Jersey, was originally a Roman Catholic monastery. If anything else, it is an example of an incomplete conversion. Histories on the internet that have not been written by the Milan representatives themselves are impossible to find.

RRb blog commentator Minas notes:

"It makes no sense that in 36 yrs. he has never mentioned that St Philaret blessed that Abbey's name or whatever he's saying. Another thing I noticed today in the history on that Abbey of the Holy Name website is it says this: 'Many ecclesiastical dignitaries have visited the abbey during its existence, including(now RocorMP Met.)-Archbishop Hilarion of Australia (ROCOR) and Bishop Germaine of Paris (ECOF). The Blessed Elder (Schema-Bishop) Theodore (Irtel) of Old Valaam lived the last 7 years of his life at the abbey and reposed there on November 21, 1997.'

This guy Bishop Theodore Irtel, aka George Irtel, aka Sergius Irtel, has been around the vagante circles. When I was at Blanco they had made a color icon of him using the photo with a bright light shining on him and Greene claimed he was a living saint."

http://holynameabbey.org/history.htm

http://www.pokrov.org/?s=THEODORE+IRTEL&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

http://www.pokrov.org/wp-content/uploads/Irtel-Post.pdf

Checking the Pokrov site we find that the vigante-Bishop Theodore was also once under the vigante-Metr. Pangratios who was also, as he was, a sex pervert.

What is the Milan synod up to?

MWoerl puts it quite succinctly.Michael Woerl is a freelance writer for the RocorMP. He does have a way with words. Here is an excellent observation of the Milan synods, that he gives informally on a (world-orthodox) forum. Year 2011.

I find it more than bold, and also pretty embarrassing – that a group who was once in communion with the Ukrainian Church under "Patriarch" Filaret (Denisenko), [a defrocked KGB agent, code name "Antonov"], can now, undoubtedly with a straight face, call the Moscow Patriarchate an "abomination," and everyone in legitimate Orthodox Churches who do not share the viewpoint of their tiny group, "representatives of Satan."

Saints preserve us! Now the Milan..uh – remnant of the former Milan Synod in the US, apparently currently known as the 'American Metropolia' (a name used before guys, and not exactly a sterling one in the annals of traditional Orthodoxy ...) are attempting to grab the reins of the True Orthodox/Old Calendar movement in North America, rehabilitate the name "American Metropolia" for the Traditionalists, and show the world they can no longer abide Abundius! ... beat it, Boston! Go away Agafangel! Take off, Tikhon! push off, Pavlos! shove off, Symeon! Mila ... er, the American Metropolia had arrived! Abundius? are you kiddin??

...Metropolitan Antony was held in high esteem by other autocephalous churches: thus he was invited to head the enthronement of the Romanian Patriarch Myron and also to head the enthronement of Patriarch Varnava; he stepped forward in the defence of the Œcumenical Patriarch, when Kemal Pasha wanted to evict him from Constantinople, and was invited by Patriarchs Gregory IV of Antioch and Photius of Alexandria for discussions of the question of the "reforms" of Orthodoxy, which Patriarch Meletius IV of Constantinople was preparing to introduce. We must also take into account the opinion of other hierarchs who recognized the Synod of Bishops as canonical, as for instance, Metropolitan Innokenty of Peking, and also the opinion of the Serbian Church, which on Dec. 6, proclaimed:

"According to the canons of the Holy Orthodox Church, when an Orthodox hierarchy with its flock transfers abroad to the territory of another Church because of persecutions, it has the right to an independent organization and administration; as a result of this, it is necessary to recognize such a right for the Russian Church hierarchy within the territory of the Serbian Church."

In regarding the Synod of the Church Abroad anti-canonical, Prof. Verhovskoy must also refuse to recognize the canonicity of the decision of the Serbian Church Council; this is a fully logical deduction. A graduate of the Kiev Theological Academy, G.A. Znamensky, a representative of a time-honored theological school founded on the traditions of the Holy Fathers, says the following:

"And no matter how they condemn our higher Church Authority; whatever reproaches of seemingly illegal 'pretentions' and 'solicitations' are published by canonical commissions of those who think differently; whatever names they use for out Higher Church Authority, lowering it to a level of the Karlovtsy-Munich-New York Synod: for us the Council of Bishops with its permanent Synod for more than 30 years, was, and still is, the Higher Church Authority, according to the precise meaning of the ukase of the Most Holy Patriarch Tikhon and his administration, who wisely foresaw the destinies of Russian diocese outside the state boundaries of Russia. And our whole Synod Church Abroad, having received this blessing for a temporary separated existence from the imprisoned Church, which has not surrendered to Antichrist, was, and is now, the bearer of the true image of a Local Russian Church."

page 48

...In his epistle to Russian Orthodox people in 1945, Metropolitan Anastasy wrote:

"Those who are in submission to the jurisdicition of the council of Bishops and Synod Abroad never regarded nor do they regard themselves as being outside the fold of the Russian Orthodox Church, for they never broke canonical, prayerful and spiritual unity with the Mother Church... We never cease to thank God that He destined us to remain as the free aprt of the Russian Church. It is our duty to guard this freedom until such a time when we shall return to the Mother Church that precious pledge entrusted to us by her. A wholly competent judge between the bishops abroad and the present head of the Russian Church could be only a freely and legally called All-Russian Church Council, fully independent in its decisions with the participation of all exiled bishops and especially of those incarcerated in russia, before whom we are ready to give an account of all our activities during the time of our sojourn abroad"."

The Church Abroad is always ready to appear before the tribunal of a free Council of the Mother Church. She has used only the straight path at all times, preserving all the spiritual treasures of Orthodoxy. She did not cast herself to all sides like other jurisdictions, changing her orientation, but has stood firmly on her path.

The Moscow Patriarchate will be standing before the same tribunal too, and those formations which broke away from the Church Abroad will also have to appear. *

We should send up our prayers to the Lord God, that He will enlighten, pacify and unify all, in order that even before the coming judgment all would unite around the one chalice of Christ with the words:

The Moscow Patriarchate will be standing before the same tribunal too, and those formations which broke away from the Church Abroad will also have to appear.

Those formations are first the OCA, next the R-fragments, and lastly the RocorMP. Sometimes it seems like this day will never come, except at the 2nd Coming. Whether it is then or in the next hour, ROCOR has always been ready to give answer. We have nothing of which to be ashamed. We are ready to be judged.

Fr Dionysi MacGowan of St Basil of Kineshima Church in Colorado Springs has left his parish and relocated his family to Ipswich, Massachusetts. It is understood that Fr Dionysi will live on the premises of St John the Russian Parish in Ipswich, where the pastor and assistant priest, Frs. Spyridon Schneider and Christopher Johnson, have been suspended for the past month by Metropolitan Valentine of Suzdal.

According to the new website of St Basil of Kineshima Mission (which has been moved to http://www.saintbasilchurch.org due to the sudden redirection of the former website [...] to the St John the Russian site) all services are now being held at the nearby royal martyrs chapel, as the Temple has been dismantled on the request of Fr Dionysi.

Fr Dionysi MacGowan was the first priest of ROAC ordained for America in 2001 and initially founded St Basil of Kineshima Parish in Staunton, Virginia. Initially an opponent of former Archbishop Gregory of Colorado, he later became a supporter and moved his family to Colorado. In 2004 he sided with Metropolitan Valentine and the ROAC Synod when the former Bishop of Colorado attempted to cause a schism. However, in early 2005, Fr Dionysi became a loyalist of Fr Spyridon Schneider's causes and came to Russia to speak on behalf of the latter's earlier actions.

Fr Spyridon Schneider, formerly a priest of ROCOR, HOCNA, and later ROCOR-V is the pastor of St John the Russian Church and was recently suspended along with two other Massachusetts priests for attempting to promote a schism within the ROAC in the hope of creating a Bishop under the spiritual control of the Ipswich parish. The plot to create a schism was revealed late last month by Archbishop Anthony of Vyatka and Yaransk and had been known by members of Fr Spyridon's inner circle in America. Fr Spyridon, Fr Christopher Johnson, and Fr Victor Melehov were members of ROAC since Great Lent of 2004. The parish is well known for both its early loyalty to the right-wing renovationist policies of Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Boston and the production of Orthodox crosses of the finest quality.

Currently Father Deacon Nikolai Stanosheck is serving the Colorado Mission, with Hegumen Andrei (Maklakov) offering to continue serving the community at least somewhat frequently.

Part of my ongoing Correspondence series, featuring replies to people who contacted me and asked questions, mostly when I served as a priest (2008-2013).

Dear Chris,

I’m not surprised that you are struggling with the issue of how to view the New Calendarist elders. Almost everyone who comes down this path has to confront this issue. I also had to consider it, of course. As you know from my article I sent you[1], I do not believe that struggling from within makes any sense or is good for the soul, and I think that “elderphilia” is a cancer in modern Orthodoxy. To me, the idea that one would not follow ecclesiological principles to their logical conclusion because there is someone who is holy on the “other side” seems to be a subversion of the proper order of theology.

For instance, we of course have our elders (such as Elder Ieronymos of Aegina)…does that mean that Elder Ieronymos, who left the New Calendarist Church in 1942, is a fraud? Or does it mean that there are true elders on both sides, and it really doesn’t matter which side one is on? Or perhaps it does matter, but God blessed people who made the wrong choice anyway, but who were sincere? These are all possibilities. However, seeing that one would have to consider all these possibilities, I do not see how any of them would supersede wanting to be under bishops who are Orthodox, because the Church is where the bishop is, not where the elder is. Look at Church history, and try to find how many times a charismatic figure ultimately won out against the episcopacy? Whenever there is a dispute between bishops and monastics, the bishops almost always win.

So how do I and other Old Calendarists deal with the people you listed? We could discuss each one individually, but I will instead just give you the highlights, and we can follow up if you wish. Fr. Paisios was in delusion, I believe, owing to the many false prophecies that he gave. Of course none of these are mentioned by his supporters, especially not in English translation. However, in Greek we have published some of the most notorious ones, such as his prophecy that he would die on Athos (which didn’t happen) or my favorite, his telling a Greek colonel that he would be the one to liberate Constantinople from the Turks (the colonel retired without having ever received even a promotion). We have thought about translating these things into English, but that is a double-edged sword. If we do, then we might be accused of being evil, mean-spirited, spiteful, partisan, etc. If we don’t, then we let misconceptions remain and are accused of not having an answer.[2]

In regards to Fr. Joseph the Hesychast, Bishop Petros knew him on Mount Athos, and in fact, thought he was in plani (delusion) for returning to commemoration. Fr. Joseph’s sister remained a non-commemorator/Old Calendarist.[3]

Fr Justin Popovich was a great author, and in fact, he broke communion with the ecumenist Serbian patriarchate, although not all of the Serbian bishops.[4]

While it would have been best for him to completely leave, the fact that he recognized that communion with a blatant communist and ecumenist was impossible and that he therefore broke communion with him speaks volumes of his character.

I know little about Elder Cleopa.

In regards to Met. Chrysostomos of Florina, two points should be considered. The first is, that while he was reticent to deny that New Calendarists had grace (although he eventually did, publicly) he still did not think it was possible to have communion with them. Secondly, he viewed the situation which was still at play in the Church of Greece; there were hierarchs telling him that they wanted to return to the Old Calendar. He softened his position from 1937 to 1950 because he second-guessed whether a hardliner position was right, seeing that there was still “some hope” in the state Church, a struggle for Orthodoxy…that failed, ultimately. That was in the 1940′s, also―things have gotten qualitatively worse since then, I think we can all admit.

As for the idea that we haven’t entered into “blatant” concelebrations or heresy, can you honestly watch this video and say that?

“Orthodox Unilateral Ecumenism” Part 1Part 2

My “favorite” part is where Met. Christodoulos admits they rejected a large number of Uniates in Italy who had applied en masse to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the 1960′s, because they didn’t want to set back ecumenical dialogue with the Vatican. That isn’t heretical?

As for the question of feeling peace or not, I am not sure what to tell you. I felt peaceful when I joined the Catholic Church, I felt peaceful the first time I went into a New Calendar Church, and I felt peaceful when I went to the Old Calendar Church the first time…I don’t make much out of feelings. For the record, when I was baptized at St. Markella’s, I experienced something different than “peace,” namely illumination of the nous, which lasted about 10 minutes. During that time, reality changed. It was like I could see beyond what was in the room, and I experienced other realities. When my thoughts went back to worldly things, I lost the feeling. When I was ordained, I felt fire reign down on my head. When I have prayed for people, I have felt “electricity” go from my hand to them, and they likewise have felt it. What to make of all these experiences? I suggest you see experiences as secondary to proper ecclesiological concerns.

I hope it gives you something to think about. You are in my prayers.

In Christ,Fr. Anastasios

[1] An as-of-yet unpublished manuscript titled Resisting from Within: A Personal Testimony, in which I draw on my experience as a Eastern-Rite Catholic trying to be more Orthodox in practice and use this to argue against the idea of resisting the heresy of Ecumenism, Modernism, and the New Calendar from within the New Calendarist Church.

[2] We subsequently did translate the incident with the colonel into English here.

[3] After I wrote this letter, we received a large group of clergy and faithful from HOCNA, and some of them brought with them a personal devotion to Fr. Joseph. The argument that HOCNA put forth was that Fr. Joseph reacted to extremism, but if he had been alive in 1965 when the anathemas were lifted, he would have stopped commemorating again. I do not believe that this is a proper line of argumentation, since the Church of the GOC of Greece had already ruled the commemorators as schismatic, but I do not wish to quarrel needlessly with other bretheren.

[4] Vladimir Moss, “The Fall of The Serbian Church.” I do not generally recommend the writings of Vladimir Moss, due to their polemical and political nature, but occasionally he does write some great material. Please use caution with other links on that site.

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THE SISTER CHURCHES

The True Orthodox Churches of Romania, and Bulgaria, and with the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and with the Synod in Resistance, are called by the Grace of the Lord to coexist in Mysteriological communion.

from §4 of “Schedule of Steps in the Union Process” Feb. 2014

VL AGAFANGEL PRAYER

Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Theotokos and all the Saints: keep our souls unharmed from the destructive influences of globalism, ecumenism, and sergianism, and give all of us the strength to endure the latest onset of persecution of the Church of Christ. Amen

QUOTE

"I have taken you in my arms, and I love you, and I prefer you to my life itself. For the present life is nothing, and my most ardent dream is to spend it with you... I place your love above all things, and nothing would be more bitter or painful to me than to be of a different mind than you.”

St. John Chrysostom

QUOTE

"If we have a good priest (or bishop), we give thanks to God. If a bad one, we endure him".

- old Russian saying

QUOTE

"And here is something to which I would like to draw your attention to – something about which very many do not think about. Father Archimandrite Constantine, whom probably many of you know, the reposed editor of the journal “Orthodox Rus’”, a profound Christian mind, considered that the most terrible among all the achievements of the communists was that the communists created their own false-church, a soviet church which they shoved onto the unfortunate people in place of the genuine Church which went underground into the catacombs. Do not think that I am exaggerating or that Father Constantine was exaggerating!

Once, in the year 1918, a Pan-Russian Church Council was held. At this Council, the entire Pan-Russian Church together with its first holy hierarch, Patriarch Tikhon anathematized, excommunicated from the Church not only the theomachists and godless ones themselves, but also all those who would collaborate with them."

~St. Philaret of NY

QUOTE

"To the Russians abroad, it has been granted to shine in the whole world with the light of Orthodoxy, so that other peoples, seeing their good deeds, might glorify our Father Who is in heaven, and thus obtain salvation for themselves. But if it does not perform this purpose and even abases Orthodoxy by its life, the Diaspora will have before itself two paths: either to be converted to the path of repentance, having acquired forgiveness through prayer to God and being reborn spiritually and to being capable of giving rebirth to our suffering homeland; or else being rejected by God and remaining in banishment, persecuted by everyone, until gradually it will degenerate and disappear from the face of the earth."

from Vladika John's report to the All-Diaspora Sobor in 1938

QUOTE

The apostasy of our times, to a degree unique in Christian history, is proceeding not primarily by false teachings or canonical deviations, but rather by a false understanding of Orthodoxy on the part of those who may even be perfectly Orthodox in their dogmatic teaching and canonical situation. A correct "Orthodoxy" deprived of the Spirit of true Christianity—this is the meaning of Sergianism, and it cannot be fought by calling it a "heresy," which it is not, nor by detailing its canonical irregularities, which are only incidental to something much more important.

- Russia's Catacomb Saints

QUOTE

Let it not be thought, however, that I affirm that it is necessary to prize every peace. For I know that there is a splendid disagreement and the most destructive unanimity. Yet one must love a good peace which has a good purpose: unity with God.

-St. Gregory the Theologian

QUOTE

... To pious Christians the fact that the world has fallen into godlessness is to them obvious, and they are ready to see it as an unfortunate historical inevitability ...

Professor Viktor Trostinkov

QUOTE

If you want to have assurance that you are saved, repent now that you are young and healthy and it is manifest that you left sin while you were still able to sin. But if you persevere in sin into your old age, why then you did not leave sin, but rather sin left you.

St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain

QUOTE

Live in peace not only with your friends, but also with your enemies; but only your personal enemies, and not the enemies of God.

St. Theodosius of the Kiev Caves

QUOTE

Judge not according to appearances, but judge righteous judgment.

St. John 7:24

QUOTE

"If Russia is not ressurrected, a new Golgotha threatens the whole world."

Priest Vladimir Evsukoff 1980†

QUOTE

A man who does not express a desire to link himself to the latest of the saints (in time) in all love and humility owing to a certain distrust in himself, will never be linked to the preceding saints and will not be admitted to their succession, even though he thinks he possesses all possible faith and love for God and for all His saints. He will be cast out of their midst, as one who refused to take humbly the place allotted to him by God before all time, and to link himself to that latest saint (in time) as God had disposed.

St. Symeon the New Theologian

QUOTE

SCOBA, to which world orthodoxy gives such great significance, reproaching us for not belonging to it, actually is in no way a canonical organ. The Russian Church Outside of Russia was invited to take part in these conferences; however, our Church refused to send representatives there after clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate were invited. "We never and nowhere will sit at one table with them; by this our spiritual communion with the Universal Church is not broken."

Archpriest George Grabbe 1969

QUOTE

"Let us always thank the Lord that we are in the Holy Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, which throughout the 80 years of its existence has trodden the straight, royal path of God, without ever turning aside and losing its way."

QUOTE

The passions lying hidden in the soul provide the demons with the means of arousing impassioned thoughts in us. Then, fighting the intellect through these thoughts, they force it to give its assent to sin. When it has been overcome, they lead it to sin in the mind; and when this has been done they induce it, captive as it is, to commit the sin in action. Having thus desolated the soul by means of these thoughts, the demons then retreat, taking the thoughts with them, and only the spectre or idol of sin remains in the intellect. Referring to this our Lord says, 'When you see the abominable idol of desolation standing in the holy place (let him who reads understand)... (Matt 24:15). For man's intellect is a holy place and a temple of God in which the demons, having desolated the soul by impassioned thoughts, set up the idol of sin. That these things have already taken place in history no one, I think, who has read Josephus will doubt; though some say that they will also come to pass in the time of the Antichrist.

Philokalia

QUOTE

There are three things that impel us towards what is holy: natural instincts, angelic powers, and probity of intention. Natural instincts impel us, when, for example, we do to others what we would wish them to do to us (cf. Luke 6:31), or when we see someone suffering deprivation or in need and naturally feel compassion. Angelic powers impel us when, being ourselves impelled to something worthwhile, we find we are providentially helped and guided. We are impelled by probity of intention when, discriminating between good and evil, we choose the good.

Philokalia

QUOTE

The outward Gospel of social idealism is a symptom of loss of faith.

Fr. Seraphim Rose

QUOTE

Impurity of intellect consists first in having false knowledge, ...

Philokalia

QUOTE

Isn't Marx really the third of a trio with Darwin and Freud as a practical source in the war against revealed truth?

Fr. Seraphim Rose

Letters, 1972

QUOTE

QUOTE

To: ROCA members from the MP

"You have to understand that you have long been in a false church, which implants in its members' souls, a false spirituality, which in turn takes root and grows stronger and stronger, the longer a man stays in it."

Bishop Athanasius, 2014

QUOTE

Mankind has gone mad, and we see with horror the abyss into which it is being drawn. Let us lay aside every worldly care, and let us fall down in prayer and readiness for the dread Judgment of the Lord. Death will not come with bombs and poisons. Death has already come and take up residence with us and in us, and has made corpses of us, Mammon has overwhelmed this sinful world, which is dominated by Queen Science, Lucifer himself, which with one hand makes medicines and machines for man's foolish happiness and with the other terrorizes him by means of the bomb! Such is the sorry state of knowledge and the agony of the world through and through. Let us lift up our hearts.

-Photios Kontoglou (†1965) letter to Dr. Cavarnos dated 5/10/57

QUOTE

"Psychopaths are a superior subspecies. We transcend humanity. We are Nature's Supermen. We deserve the subservience and availability of everyone around us. Luckily, every year 100-million people are born throughout the world. We have 100-million new choices every year."

-Sam Vaknin, self-realized psychopath

QUOTE

Our Saviour placed the Church in the world in order to save the world, and Satan is always trying to place the world into the Church in order to destroy the Church.

attributed to Desert Fathers

QUOTE

"If you see lying and hypocrisy, expose them in front of all, even if they are clothed inpurple and fine linen."

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